Family with Teen(s)

Father, Creator of all, thank You for summer!
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Thank you for the warmth of the sun and the increased daylight. Thank You for the beauty I see all around me and for the opportunity to be outside and enjoy Your creation.
Thank You for the increased time I have to be with my friends and family, and for the more casual pace of the summer season.

Draw me closer to You this summer.
Teach me how I can pray no matter where I am or what I am doing.

Warm my soul with the awareness of Your presence and light my path with Your Word and Counsel.
As I enjoy Your creation, create in me a pure heart and a hunger and a thirst for You.
                                                                                                   Amen.
Summer time is a great time for living out your faith and being an example to those around you. In your travels for family vacation, picnics with friends, or even just going to the movies – you can bring Christ into all of these situations whether that is making sure your family makes it to mass when you are on vacation, or that you pray before you eat your picnic, or you choose to only go to see wholesome movies. Living out your faith during the summer time does not have to be complicated;, Jesus is always present with us and all we have to do is let His light shine onto those around us.

Summer time can often bring a lot of free time. The summer would be a great time to try to make it to a daily Mass during the week. At SSJP Mass is at 5:30pm on Tuesday, 9am on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 5:00pm on Saturday, and 8:30am and 10:30am on Sunday.  
The end of the school year is quickly approaching, and many of us are looking forward to the long days of summer. Maybe some of your families have awesome summer vacations planned (I personally am looking forward to a trip to the Wisconsin Dells) or maybe some of you are going to a summer camp (Catholic Youth Camp anyone?). No matter what you are doing, summer is also a great time to share your faith with the people you encounter.

After the Resurrection and before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave all of us the mission to bring the message of His love to the whole world. It is our job as Christians to be the light of Christ in every situation in our lives. This can be done both in what we say and what we do. We do not necessarily always have to be talking about Jesus, although there is a time and place, but we can also share the love of God through simple actions such as smiling at people, being polite, being respectful, and inviting our friends to come to church with us.

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What are some different ways that you can bring Christ into your summer time activities? 

Having a hard time thinking of ways to incorporate faith into your summer? Or maybe you just want to be a better YOU this summer. Check out this blog for 30 easy enough ideas on how to make the most of your time off. Make sure you have a friend or family member who will keep you accountable by challenging them with one of these too.

30 Challenges to Make This the Best Summer of Your Life